WWE: Can the Superstars That Carried the Company for Years Be Replaced?

Hello, bleachers. I haven't written for about a week now because frankly I've been entirely uninterested in what is going on right now with WWE.

Capitol Punishment, RAW, Smackdown, I see the superstars who are supposed to be carrying this company into the future. And yet, they seem to be no better off than when they were all definitive mid-carders a few years ago. Perhaps because they still are.

With CM Punk leaving WWE at the Money in the Bank PPV, it marks another big name in the company walking out the door, joining the list with Shawn Michaels, Batista, Edge, and Chris Jericho.

Add that to the fact that Triple H and Undertaker are essentially retired save for the occasional Wrestlemania match, and it's clear WWE has seen a lot of its big names on the way out over the past year or so.

So in its current state, WWE is getting all they can from the two biggest names remaining, John Cena and Randy Orton. Those two guys are far and beyond anyone else in WWE right now in terms of star power.

No one else in WWE has come close to filling the void left by the veterans who have left. So, today we're going to look at what roles those superstars played in WWE and how they can be replaced.

Shawn Michaels

A lot of the nicknames in WWE right now have simply been handed out, mainly by the commentators. Calling Randy Orton The Viper, for example, was just something Cole said one night and it caught on.

"The Most Must-See WWE Champion in History" was a moniker Miz came up with and Cole just started repeating it like the mindless parrot that he is. What I'm saying is these nicknames weren't earned, they were just given out as a marketing tool by WWE.

But every nickname held by Shawn Michaels (most notably, The Show-stopper and Mr. Wrestlemania) are given for very good reason. Because when the lights are on bright, and when it comes to prime time, HBK brings it like nobody else.

How many kick-ass, memorable matches has Shawn Michaels given us? How many amazing stories has he told in the ring? How many times have we rooted for HBK to rise up, always knowing that we was in over his head, always believing he could lose, but hoping that he could somehow pull it out? Shawn Michaels is, quite simply, the greatest professional wrestler of all time.

While there may never be another HBK, The void left by someone who always steps up their game and gives people their money's worth is a void that could potentially be filled. And the guy who can pull that off is Daniel Bryan.

It wasn't shocking for me when I learned HBK was a head trainer for Bryan, because he wrestles with the same psychology. The underdog that everyone loves to cheer for, someone who really bring casual fans and hardcore fans together.

Obviously, Bryan is an incredible wrestler who has had some tremendous matches in WWE, but he still hasn't been pushed to that level  =of credibility HBK had.

In order for Bryan to be the next HBK, he needs to win a World Championship, cleanly one-on-one, at some point in his career.

Triple H

HBK and Triple H, in many ways, almost represent completely different sides of the professional wrestling spectrum.

While HBK is that proverbial underdog who you always know could lose which makes it even greater when he wins, Triple H is the "immovable object", an obstacle that everyone has to go through.

He's the measuring stick by which everyone else is compared. That's why he's called "The Game". He's the ultimate test for the other superstars in WWE.

While this role can work as a face (such as with Triple H's 2008 Smackdown run), it generally works better as a heel, a la Evolution Triple H.

Having someone in that role is so important, because it gives you those breakthrough, star-making moments where someone manages to pull it off, such as Batista at Wrestlemania 21 or John Cena at Wrestlemania 22.

No heel in WWE is even close to the credibility of a Triple H right now, probably because Cena and Orton have already squashed everyone.

A guy who may have the potential to be that measuring-stick heel is Sheamus, who may be the only heel who has shown any sort of change from the watered-down heel gimmick WWE is in abundance of right now.

He need to win a few more World Titles though before he get in that upper echelon.

Edge

Edge is definitely a guy young WWE superstars should use as a rough guide to being a top star in WWE. If you look at the big stars in the company, most of them are/were either A) People who helped them beat WCW during the Attitude Era (The Rock, Austin, Triple H) or B) People who WWE groomed to be stars from a young age (John Cena, Randy Orton, Batista).

Edge was neither of those things, he was a superstar in the same position as most of the guys now who always turned in good performances, always looked to get himself over, and always looked to do something different.

As a result, WWE gave him a chance. and he kept working until he was top-tier superstar in the WWE.

A guy I look at as being very similar is The Miz. Miz is another guy who has had to work his way up from the bottom, and has now done very well for himself in WWE by committing to his character and trying to create his own trademarks, both in and out of the ring.

However, he has a long ways to go. After being made to quit by Cena, and getting embarrassed by Alex Riley, Miz's status has been shaken.

He's not at a point where anything can happen to him and his status will be the same the next night. Wins, big clean wins at big events are what he needs. Getting that WWE title back wouldn't hurt, either.

The Undertaker

It is quite possible that no one will ever replace what the Undertaker brings to WWE. From the day he debuted to his match against Triple H just a few months back, he has been a well-known and respected presence.

Through all his character tweaks, Undertaker has always had that aura of invincibility, and has been insanely over for it. When that bell dongs, you know somebody is going to pay.

He is the ultimate executioner, laying the heels down to rest for all their sins. Nobody else has even come close to that vibe, and as I said, WWE may never find someone who brings what Undertaker brings to the company.

I don't think any guy currently in WWE will be able to replace Taker. Oddly enough, the closest isn't a guy at all. Kharma has essentially played the Taker role for the divas, someone who just feels completely invincible, someone who comes out and can destroy anyone.

We'll see if WWE can find anyone to serve that role in the male division, but right now there is no male in WWE I can pinpoint as being the next Undertaker.

Chris Jericho

Despite his many accomplishments, Chris Jericho has never really been at that level with the Cena's, Taker's and Orton's of the world. But that doesn't mean he's any less valuable, because Jericho is one of those guys who can do it all.

He can play a face or a heel perfectly and get a response. He can main-event a PPV. He can put a young guy over. He can give you a four-star match. He's the proverbial jack-of-all-trades that every wrestling promotion should have.

WWE has a few talented performers that can serve this same role. The most prominent guy for me is Dolph Ziggler. A tremendous in-ring performer who is completely underrated on the mic.

All this guy needs is a chance to be at that level with John Cena on RAW and everyone should expect great things. While he's technically a former world champion, he needs to win that belt legitimately at some point. '

Unfortunately, I don't see it happening soon with Cena dominating the brand until Wrestlemania. But when he does get there, expect him to be a guy WWE will be glad they pushed a few years down the road.

Batista

Honestly, Batista's role isn't difficult to replace, which is probably why he always felt like the odd man out on whatever show he was on during his main-event run.

He's just your standard dominating babyface, no different than what Randy Orton is now.

Maybe a guy like Ezekiel Jackson or Mason Ryan, but we have two totally dominant babyfaces running the show right now, so a powerhouse babyface isn't something WWE really needs moving forward.

Conclusion

Now, from this article it may seem like I'm harping on the newer guys, saying how they don't measure up to the guys I grew up watching and whatever, but that's not the case. I hold WWE's current talent pool in very high regard, and in terms of pure athletic talent, this may be WWE's best roster in quite some time.

I simply don't feel the characters are anywhere near the level they've been in the past, and with the majority of focus on UFC for pure athleticism, WWE needs to keep to its strength, and that's its ability to tell stories and create memorable moments.

Some of the blame has to be on the superstars, some of it on the booking staff, and some of it on the fans who aren't giving the new guys a chance.

I'm also not saying that all the current superstars should try to be exactly like other superstars in the past. There are a variety of superstars I didn't mention in my comparisons like John Morrison, Alberto Del Rio, and Wade Barrett, all three of which I believe to be top guys who should be at the forefront of WWE programming, and they can play different roles based on their strengths.

Unfortunately, I haven't seen much interest by WWE in pushing these guys to their full potential, and with John Cena and Randy Orton looking pretty much unbeatable, we can only hope these guy will get their chance, because it doesn't take long for the fans to lose interest and we'll be on to the next crop of main-event hopefuls...